In one of multiple recordings attached to the lawsuit, the man and woman discuss what makes her comfortable in terms of taking trips together and attending events. The man appears to become frustrated at times, using profanity.

Listen to the audio below (explicit language) or read a transcript of the conversation.

WOMAN: No, I mean that sounds fun. I just didn’t want it to be... I just didn’t want you to take it the wrong way and I didn’t know if when you left you that were like frustrated or anything so I wanted to clear that up.

MAN: No, I mean, what, did you actually think about it after I left?

WOMAN: Yeah (laughs)

MAN (Laughs)

WOMAN: I just don’t want us to go backwards. That’s all

MAN: Don’t… I understand that but don’t ever tell me anything that you think I want to hear. Tell me the truth.

WOMAN: I know ….that’s why I told you that tonight. That’s why I was like uh. I don’t think it’s a good idea. I, if I told you what you wanted to hear I would’ve been like yeah. Let’s just do it. But I didn’t...

MAN – Well the possibility, the probability of us staying in the same room is probably real high. You do understand that though right?

WOMAN: Kind of sort of.

Man: OK.

WOMAN: Laughs

MAN: OK. That’s cool.

WOMAN: What do you mean that’s cool?. Don’t start acting like this.

MAN: Start acting like what, Savannah? You said you sort of understand. Here’s my question. Alright my question is this. If we get out there and we got two rooms. Are you? On paper, if we got two rooms but we end up staying in the same room, is that comfortable or uncomfortable for you?

WOMAN: I mean…

MAN: I’m gonna say not comfortable just based on the pause.

WOMAN: I don’t think it’s a good idea. I don’t think it’s a good idea.

MAN: OK. Alright That’s cool.

WOMAN: I don’t want you to get all mad and pissy on me for another two weeks. I’m just saying, I just... I’ve liked the way things are lately and I want them to stay this way… and you do, too, so let’s not move backwards.

MAN: (Laughs) Ok. Fair enough.

WOMAN: What do you mean?

MAN: Fair enough. I mean, that’s it. I’ve got my answer. That’s OK. I’m not… I mean I’ve got my answer, so that’s cool. If (his) room will work, if it’s not a single bed, he’s going to check on it. If his room’s a single bed then we’re not, we’re not going to be able to go so, I mean, that’s it because I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable spot. I just... I don’t want to do that. You know…I just don’t want to do that.

WOMAN: OK. Well, we’ll figure it out.

MAN: No, I mean, that’s it. It’s figured. That’s it If it comes back and it’s a single bed, it’s not going to work, so, I mean that’s as much figuring out. He’s going to text me in a minute and let me know.

WOMAN: I mean because even then (he) will be like, ‘Wait a second. What do you mean,’ like?

MAN: No…you don’t understand that whole thing…..For us

WOMAN: Being as close as we are is one thing but if somebody says the sheriff and his assistant shared a hotel room, that’s like a whole different thing, Will?

MAN: I mean I get what you’re saying from your perspective but to (him)... First off, (he) would never say anything to anybody. Ever. Period. Like he would not even mention that you were even there to anybody.

WOMAN: I know but, and you may be right, you may totally be right, but I don’t want to take any chances. Like you are a political figure, whether you want to be or not and I’m not going to be the one to screw this up for you, for me, more for you and one person knowing that we shared a room together is like too much.

MAN: That…

WOMAN: Does that make sense?

MAN: To you it does, yes... Yeah, to you it does and that’s all that matters. To you it makes sense and that’s all that matters. So, I mean that’s it, Savannah, it’s simple. If it makes sense to you, then that’s fine. I mean that’s it. So I mean, If he’s got a double, then I can stay with him and we can go. If he doesn’t have a double then, you know, we won’t go. It’s that easy. I mean, this is not a (expletive) jigsaw puzzle or biophysics. I mean this is simply, it’s just simply that. (He) has a double room and it will be comped to the county then we will have one other room that we can get and that will be your room. And if he doesn’t have a double bed, then there; no dice. I mean it’s just that simple, I mean...I just.. can I explain at least why it’s making sense to you and why it would not be different to us? Because we like, for us, there’s nothing about, like if you and I stayed in a room together. There’s nothing about that that would be odd to (he) or any other, well 90 percent of the other SWAT team members throughout the country because we’ve all had female partners somewhere along the way, like on the road and your female partner, you would like dress in front of your female partner, like you would change clothes in front of your female partner. She would change in front of you. I mean we’ve had like two SWAT team members, well one SWAT team member who was a female and she was just blazing hot and I mean she would literally drop down to her underwear in front of us and change on a SWAT call. I mean, that’s like, women don’t, in law enforcement, don’t get offended and if a woman and a guy stayed in the same room, none of us would think that way

MAN: To (him) and everybody else… if a state trooper stopped you who knew me and recognized you and knew who you were, then you would get the same courtesy as every other cop. I mean, it’s just like, you have those courtesies now. I know it’s a little difficult for you to understand, but you do.

WOMAN: I can see what you’re saying but do you, like, do you see my perspective, like?

MAN: I see your perspective. That’s why I said it the way I did

WOMAN: OK.

MAN: You said, does that make sense. I said, ‘To you,’ because to you it does make sense.

WOMAN: And to most of the citizens of Greenville County like Lynn (laughs) That would give them exactly what they wanted. You know what I mean, like?

MAN: I’m not…(inaudible) that would actually take some looking into for them and quite frankly, they would never do that. I mean, Nora doesn’t even take time off her schedule when you’re out. I mean, there’s no paper trail for any of this. And, even if you went with me… it’s more like, it’s like (she) and I going down to Sheriff’s School together. It was more of a…it’s more of a hassle for the two of us to be staying in the same hotel room, same hotel. Period. Guy- girl from the same agency that know each other, than anything else. So we just don’t tell people we should. Like (she) will tell you, I’m sure, that she will say the less people know, the better off they are. People don’t need to know. That’s why I don’t tell people anything, so I mean I’m totally, but again I’m not trying to.. this conversation is not meant to change your mind. This doesn’t change anything. I’m just telling you that.

WOMAN: I gotcha.

MAN: But I mean there was nothing there.

WOMAN: Right.

MAN: And as far as anybody knows about us, there’s nothing there. I mean, you know what I’m saying? Like, (he) has more of a reputation as a runaround than anybody

WOMAN: Yeah

MAN: So, we just don’t .. we don’t tell people because it’s more of a hassle than anything else.

WOMAN: I gotcha.

MAN: But again, it’s whatever you’re comfortable with, Savannah. This is what I don’t want. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with anything that we’re doing or with what I’m doing

WOMAN: Right

MAN: And I don’t want that, but at the same time, I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with anything I’m doing. But at the same time, I’m kind of trying to feel out that zone again a little bit, because there is a level there. Apparently, you know, so I’m kind of trying to feel it out at the same time. So, you know I mean, I don’t want to say, ‘Hey, Savannah, do you want to go to Hawaii?’ and you say ‘I’m not going to turn a trip down to Hawaii’ but the only reason you’re going is because it’s Hawaii. You know what I mean? Like I don’t want you to just want to go because of the destination.

WOMAN: OK. Why do you want me to go?

MAN: Because you want to go. No, Savannah, I want you to go because I just want us to be able to roll around a little bit. Just me and you. Nobody else. I want time away. I want you to myself and I want us to be able to just sit around and drink on the beach on company time and just...

WOMAN: I’m just saying.

MAN: That’s... I mean… I want you to go because you want to go and not, not just for the destination. Does that make sense at all?

WOMAN: Yes, it does.

MAN: I mean I want you to go because you want to go, you’re cool with hanging out with me and if you’re not …

WOMAN: I’m definitely cool with hanging out with you and I... yes.

MAN: But I mean, listen to me, if you’re not cool with that because you know how I am, so if you’re not cool with that and you’re uncomfortable with it, then...

WOMAN: What do you mean, you know how I am?

MAN: Well, you know…I was in Charlotte. You know how I am. I mean, I’ll go out. I’ll turn a few up. I’ll get silly, whatever. But you know that, I guess what I’m saying is you’ve seen it all, you know? So you know that’s what it is. If that’s not cool, then that’s OK. But I need to know that so when stuff comes up, I’m not trying to plan, you know, for Savannah to go with everybody else. Because, I mean, …make sense at all?

WOMAN: Yeah

MAN: Am I making any sense here?

WOMAN: Yeah, yeah

MAN: So, again, I think that’s where we get back to the whole …you got all of me., you know. You’ve seen it. If that’s not comfortable with you, you know that’s cool, but I need to know that.

WOMAN: I just don’t understand how you and (her) can be best friends and have no like..Y’all don’t have sex or anything like that. Y’all don’t have like an intimate relationship but y’all are best friends. Like why can’t we…

WOMAN: Like I just don’t understand why y’all can be best friends without an intimate relationship but we can’t have the relationship that we’ve had for the past week without like some sort of expectation of sex in Reno. You know what I mean?

MAN: It’s not ... See. It’s not an expectation and I’m, you know, now I’m kind of starting to get the whole thing here. So it’s starting to make a little more sense. Alright.

WOMAN: What do you mean?

MAN: I understand what you’re saying.

WOMAN: I mean…

MAN: There’s no expectation of sex

WOMAN: You just said that I shouldn’t want to come just because it’s the destination. I should want to come because I want to hang out with you and I know how you get and I know how you are and so I know what’s going to happen like that’s what you just said. (laugh)

MAN: I didn’t say you know what’s going to happen. That’s how you know it’s going to happen at all.

I got you. I’m tracking. I understand. It makes perfect sense, so I get it. I understand.

WOMAN: What do you mean you understand?

MAN: I understand. Now I understand. I understand where you’re coming from and I get it and it makes sense, so that’s cool. Umm, for the record, the reason (she) I can remain best friends is because we flirted around so much that it never really happened and we just can’t. I don’t know… I can’t explain it.

WOMAN: So are we going to be able to have the relationship that we have right now like, ongoing? Like how it’s been these past two weeks?

MAN: Yeah, I mean, I guess

WOMAN: What do you mean you guess?

MAN: Why would we not? What would be the problem?

WOMAN: Because the last time we had this conversation, I came to work the next day and everything had changed.

WOMAN: I just want things exactly how they’ve been the past two weeks.

MAN: K

WOMAN: I think we’ve been on the same wavelength. We can trust each other. We’re working well together. Everything’s been great.

MAN: Then, then you, we’re probably going to be in a position where you, we’re going to be (tried). Yes, there’ll be some addendums, amendments to what my original expectations were... I’m not talking about sex.

WOMAN: What are you talking about?

MAN: I’m talking about just the relationship in general and the work relationship, everything. But it’s that’s fine

WOMAN: What do you mean by that?

MAN: Well, It’s just... there’ll be some changes. We’ll have to make some changes.

WOMAN: What kind of changes do you have to make? I mean things have been great these past two weeks.

MAN: They, they, they have been. I mean it’s... it’s just future things. Savannah, I’m not going to take you places with me. I’m not going to take you places

WOMAN: What do you mean by that?

MAN: Just like I said exactly

WOMAN: Like you’re not gonna take me to meetings and stuff or..

MAN: No Savannah, I’ll be glad to take you to meetings. That’s what your job is. That’s what you’re there for. I trust you. I don’t have any issues with trusting you and that’s fine. I mean, I, I’m totally fine with that, But, I mean there are places I’m just not going to take you .

That’s just it. So I mean, I don’t want it to be uncomfortable. I don’t want you to go anywhere. I’d love for you to stay… uh, we’re back to that now.

WOMAN: Exactly. I don’t want to go back to that. Please don’t let us be back to that

MAN: I trust you. I mean.

WOMAN: I trust you.

MAN: So There you go.

WOMAN: OK.

MAN: So, I mean, we’re not going to go to any other places together.

WOMAN: OK.

MAN: I mean that’s because if something does happen, you know, I mean… that’s just

WOMAN: That’s just totally fine. If that is what you need… that’s fine. That’s perfectly fine. If you don’t … that’s fine.

MAN: Is that a mad, that’s fine? Is that a good that’s fine?

WOMAN: No, it’s like I totally understand, like… that is perfectly fine.

If we can still have the relationship we have and be how it’s been and the only addendum is that we can’t go on trips together, then that is totally understandable.

MAN: OK. Alright.

WOMAN: Alright. Well I’m going to get in the shower and get everything ready for in the morning and I will … what time did we decide?

MAN: Um, whatever… Listen, you do whatever you need to do in the morning. Um, I don’t know that we really decided the time, so…You do whatever you have to do and seriously, if you don’t want to go to this funeral tomorrow, if you want to just, I mean if you want to knock off for the morning until we get back, I’m OK with that. I mean you don’t have to go to the funeral. I mean It’s not…I get that. I mean that’s OK. It’s a little confusing and the way things are and if you don’t want to go, that’s OK.

WOMAN: What do you mean ‘the way things are?’

MAN: Just the way things are…just, just. See. Here we go.. right back down that

WOMAN: What do you mean the way things are?

MAN: See, that’s what I’m talking about. Right back down that road. (Laughs). The way things are. Don’t question what I’m saying because we’re literally headed back down that road. You do realize that, right? I mean this is absolutely where we’re going.

WOMAN: Yep.

MAN: You’ve got to understand, this is... this is not me. I did not start this. You know that. You’ve got to at least be honest about that. I did not start that.

WOMAN: I don’t know how I would have started it, Will, like…l... everything is perfectly freaking fine until…

MAN: It is Savannah. Everything is fine. You’re absolutely right. Everything is fine.

WOMAN: Then why did you just say, you don’t have to come in the morning because of the way things are. What do you mean by that?

MAN: Savannah. That’s my point right there. That’s what I’m talking about. That’s what put us where we are right there.

WOMAN : Well, explain yourself so I don’t have to ask.

MAN: What I was talking about Savannah, was the fact that it is mass chaos and mass confusion. It was 11, 11:30, then it was 10 and it was now, now everybody’s meeting at 9 o’clock in the morning to go to this thing… I, I , we’re leaving. You’re questioning… you asked the question before I left your house two hours ahead of time, what are we going to do for two hours?

WOMAN: Do we have to leave with everybody else?

MAN: Savannah, I think it would be very, very unwise if I left with everybody else. I think it would be...

WOMAN: OK.

MAN: I think it would be very distasteful if I did not ride with the Sheriff’s Office

WOMAN: OK. I didn’t think about that. OK. You’re right

MAN: So, that’s what I’m talking about. That’s what you want to know. That’s the way things are. That’s what I was talking about.

WOMAN: OK.

MAN: But you immediately jumped to something else.

WOMAN: No I said, what do you mean the way things are? Like I need to know what you meant by that and then you would think I’m talking about something else and then I think I’m talking about something else because you’ve got me so confused.

MAN: Savannah. I’m not trying to confuse you at all. Alright. Are you going to be there in the morning or not?

WOMAN: I don’t know.

MAN: OK. Then there’s your answer. If you’re not going to be there when we leave, if you’re not going to be there before we go, then nobody’s going to really be up (inaudible) most of us are going to be gone anyway to the funeral.

WOMAN: Jackie and Sally and everybody else are staying?

MAN: Exactly. You’re welcome to stay up there if you’d like or you can come in late. The choice is completely yours. If you would like for me to do it, I will text you when I’m on my way back from the funeral. If that would be easier for you.

WOMAN: I mean that’s fine

MAN: It’s just not the way that this (expletive) is going to (expletive) happen. It is not going to work this way. This is not the direc…. I, I absolutely will not assume responsibility for this conversation

WOMAN: laughs.

MAN: I’m not going to do it. I absolutely (expletive) refuse to assume responsibility for this and as far as I’m concerned, if you’re there in the morning at 9 o’clock, you’re more than welcome to go. If you’re not, then that’s fine. I’ll see you when I get in.